subject: Waterjet Advantages | Die Cutter [print this page] Die Cutters are extremely versatile machines that are capable of fill almost any need when it comes to production. A type of die cutter called a waterjet cutter uses high pressure water to cut materials as well and we are going to go a little more in depth with this variation on the iconic die cutter.
What Is A Waterjet Cutter?
Waterjet cutting is a method for cutting materials that uses a jet of water rather than a blade or heat. Using water pressure around 40,000 to 60,000 PSI the setups can even cut through stainless steel. For those that may need a frame of reference here, you kitchen sinks water pressure is around 60 PSI.
History
Waterjet cutting was first used in the 1950s by Dr. Norman Franz. He came up with the idea to create an easier way to cut up lumber out of large trees as he was a forestry engineer. His machine and experiments are what gave the incentive for the future inventors to create what is the modern day waterjet cutter. Twenty years after Dr. Franz invention, Dr. Mohamed Hashish discovered that by adding abrasives to the stream of the waterjet you could cut through any material.
Advantages
There are a few great advantages to the waterjet cutters. First and foremost they can cut through almost any material with special abrasives added into the water. Secondly the waterjet does not use heat to cut materials, so when the cut is made it does not melt, distort, or warp them along the edge. Thirdly the device is extremely precise. They use computers with geometric designs and cut the exact same part every time. These are a few of the basic advantages of using waterjet cutters.
What Can It Cut?
While waterjet cutters can cut just about any flat surface, they can most certainly cut things that other die cutters may not be able to. Here is a list of the materials: cork, sprint steel, mild steel, stainless steel, acrylic, aluminum, polycarbonate, tool steel, glass, bronze, brass, reflective metals, ceramic, rubber, alloys, wood, UHMW, delrin, phenolics, laminates, composites and many more.
Choosing
A waterjet cutter is not the same thing as a die cutter and when choosing what to use you have to take into account the qualities each bring to your production line. They both have similar benefits, but each is better at a specific task than the other.
Waterjet cutters are a great and wonderful tool that makes cutting some materials possible where it would not be otherwise. It is an environmentally safe method that utilizes water with some additives at high pressures to cut through difficult or hard materials. Sometimes the benefit is not just because of the hardness, the fact that it doesnt use heat could be the big selling point.
